button in Safari
$2,200 Warm Up
Day 1a Completed
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1a
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$830,640
Total Entries
446
Level
33
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
115
Players Left
47
Players Left 1 / 446
Filter
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
There’s never a bad time to wake up with aces, but that is especially true when an opponent seven-bet shoves all in. That’s the dream scenario that unfolded for Peng Yang today on Day 1a of the $2,200 Warm Up at the Merit Poker Western Series and made him the overwhelming chip leader.
Yang picked up two aces in a pot where he six-bet to 180,000, only for Shuang Luo to move all in for her last 280,000. Yang snap-called and beat Luo’s ace-king to send her crashing to the rail as he built a massive stack over the remaining 47 players heading into Day 2.
He’s trailed by Hadi Khordbin, who found himself on the right side of two big pots near the end of the day. He hit a set of eights right before the last break, then flopped a full house with pocket sixes to bust Cheng Zhao as he finished the night with 781,000. Other big stacks include Qiang Xu (536,000), Xixiang Luo (503,500), Andrea Dato (499,000), Guoliang Wei (366,500), and Koray Korkmaz (358,500).
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peng Yang | China | 1,086,000 | 434 |
| 2 | Hadi Khordbin | Iran | 781,000 | 312 |
| 3 | Roman Stoica | Moldova | 552,500 | 221 |
| 4 | Qiang Xu | China | 536,000 | 214 |
| 5 | Xixiang Luo | China | 503,500 | 201 |
| 6 | Azamat Tulepbergenov | Kazakhstan | 502,500 | 201 |
| 7 | Andrea Dato | Italy | 499,000 | 200 |
| 8 | Emrah Daban | Turkey | 368,000 | 147 |
| 9 | Guoliang Wei | China | 366,500 | 147 |
| 10 | Koray Korkmaz | Turkey | 358,500 | 143 |
Nina Krasilnikova (267,000), Fausto Tantillo (259,500), Nikolay Fal (212,000), and Maxime Chilaud (83,500) also made it through to Day 2. Dmitry Gromov also survived the day, but that is little consolation after he built a massive stack of more than 600,000 early only to see it whittled down to just 48,000 by the time he bagged up. Toni Kaukua, Ermanno Di Nicola, and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya were among those knocked out on Day 1a and will have to try again in a later flight if they hope for a chance to capture the title.
A total of 115 entries came out for Day 1a. The field will grow considerably tomorrow when Day 1b begins at noon local time. There is also a turbo Day 1c flight at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow with 25-minute levels, and a Day 1d flight at 10 a.m. on January 17 with 15-minute levels. The surviving players from the four starting flights then combine on Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. on the 17th.
PokerNews will be back inside the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino tomorrow for Day 1b as a new crop of hopefuls take their shot at the title here in North Cyprus.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1a has ended with 47 players remaining.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see four more hands before bagging up for the night.
The tournament clock currently shows 47 players remaining out of 115 total entries on Day 1a.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a board of 3♠2♣3♣3♥, Qiang Xu bet 18,000 from the big blind and Mehmet Demirkol called on the button.
The river was the Q♠ and Xu bet 3,500. Demirkol again called and Xu turned over 4♣2♠ for a full house. Demirkol mucked as Xu took down the pot.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Emrah Daban raised to 6,500 on the button before Maksim Skripkin moved all in for 50,000 in the small blind. Kristoffer Eid called in the big blind, Daban moved all in, and Eid called for around 120,000.
Maksim Skripkin: 8♠8♥
Kristoffer Eid: Q♥Q♦
Emrah Daban: A♦A♠
Daban had both players covered and at risk with his aces as the flop came 3♠9♥K♦. The turn was the 8♦ and Skripkin pulled in the lead with a set.
The 7♦ completed the board and Skripkin tripled up, while Daban sent Eid off to the exit.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Shuang Luo had a raise to 93,000 in front of her from under the gun, while Peng Yang then reraised to 180,000. According to tablemate Aleksandar Tot, Luo had opened under the gun, Yang three-bet, and Guoliang Wei four-bet. Luo then put in her five-bet and Yang six-bet the pot, forcing out Wei.
Luo, though, moved all in for 280,000 and Yang snap-called.
Shuang Luo: A♣K♥
Peng Yang: A♥A♠
More than 600,000 was in the middle as the two players saw the flop come 6♥3♠J♣. The J♥ turn already left Luo drawing dead and heading for the exit as the 4♥ river locked up the massive pot for Yang to rocket him up into the chip lead near the end of the night.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
There was around 80,000 already in the pot as Mateusz Wozniak and Anatoly Korochenskiy went to the turn on a board of Q♥2♠3♦A♥. Wozniak, in the big blind, then moved all in for 40,000.
Korochenskiy snap-called and turned over 2♥2♦ for a set. Wozniak had 3♥2♣ for two pair and was at risk of elimination until the 3♠ came on the river to improve him to a full house and earn him a miracle double up.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Three players went to the turn on a board of 3♥4♣6♣7♦ when Bartlomiej Swieboda bet 16,000 from the big blind.
Hakan Pamukcu called in middle position, as did Koray Korkmaz in the hijack. The river was the 8♦ and Swieboda checked to Pamukcu who moved all in for 15,500.
Korkmaz called while Swieboda got out of the way. Pamukcu then showed 10♣9♣ for a rivered straight and Korkmaz mucked A♣8♣ as he handed over the double up. Swieboda admitted after the hand he also had a flush draw.
